Two men arrested in Pine Mountain marijuana robbery

A Pine Mountain man told deputies he was robbed April 3 of four pounds of marijuana by a group of men who had done prior work for him. Two men have been arrested.

With some of the perpetrators potentially still on the lam, deputies have not identified the victim.

Deputies arrested Robert Dewayne Arms, 34, and Joshua R. Orosco, 44, both of Willits on suspicion of robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime. Orosco was also arrested on assault with a deadly weapon.

The incident allegedly began earlier in the season when an unidentified woman was trimming marijuana for the victim. The two had reportedly agreed to a payment of $170 per pound. When time came for payment, however, the trimmer allegedly demanded $200 per pound, which the victim refused. A loud argument ensued, with the trimmer reportedly telling the victim she would be "back to collect."

On April 3 the victim was driving down his driveway in Pine Mountain when a pickup truck with two men in it blocked him from leaving.

Orosco, allegedly wielded a piece of pipe and threatened the victim, telling him they were there "to collect," say police.

The victim was able to steer around the pickup and escape.

He returned to his home some time later and found his home ransacked and four pounds of pot missing.

While he was investigating the burglary, he saw Arms and Orosco and a possible third person in the bushes near his home and ran to his vehicle and fled back to town.

In Willits, the victim spotted a deputy on the side of the road and alerted him to the robbery. The victim said he recognized Arms after hiring him earlier this year to sheetrock a wall in his house.

Deputies investigated the crime scene and picked up both Arms and Orosco.

Arms was later released from jail after posting $75,000 bond, while Orosco remains in jail in-lieu of posting a $100,000 bond.